JetBeam BC40 Cree XML LED Flashlight, 830 lumens, 4 x CR123 or 2 x 18650 Batteries

First off, this review is for the "layman", if there is such a thing in the flashlight/torch world. If you want a scientific review full of charts, specs, and numbers, try searching "candlepower" with your favorite search engine. :p I will not cover ergonomics or other extensively covered areas, just the important real-world performance aspects of the light I received.Initial impressions:I ordered this light from seller Performance Outdoor Gear. I did receive the BC-40W "neutral white" version, however it does NOT have the Orange Peel (OP) reflector as shown in the listing's photos; it has the smooth (SMO) reflector. Disappointing since I ordered this for use as a flood, but since the LED is more of a "flood" type to begin with, I have gotten used to its "thrower" aspect a bit. It does flood more than your typical thrower but still has very defined, sharp transitions between its 3 beam "sections" described below. It came with all accessories (lanyard, ring, extra o-rings and tail-button cover), including the sheath/holster that some people reported not receiving in random reviews across the web.Note: All observations performed with new, decent quality 3100 mAH 18650 cells. I'm not going to "endorse" one brand over another, but know that random cells of questionable quality and unknown origin are not recommended for multiple reasons... stay safe.Indoor observations:While this LED does have the infamous 3-color, 3-section beam (do some research if you don't know about that), it is not as noticeable outdoors. It is, however, VERY noticeable indoors on a white wall.On high mode (830 lumen), and to my eye, the center of the beam's spot is pretty close to spec (advertised elsewhere at 4750K) at ~4500-5000K (yellow-white).The "secondary" spot/corona is on the low end of what might be considered neutral at ~4000K and possibly a bit lower - in the high 3000's. This is quite yellow; nowhere near the advertised 4750K.The "tertiary" corona (or spill area, the rest of the outside beam) is ~5000-5500K (mostly pure white with a slight blue tint toward the very outside edge).On low mode (130 lumen), the colors are still there but not -as- noticeable. This may have been because I was blinded by switching from ~800 lumens, but a little less anyway. :)Keep in mind that this is only one specimen; "your mileage may vary" since the LED used in this light has a wide range of tolerances listed by the manufacturer. You may get a "more white" or "more yellow" light. I prefer one more on the white side (though not into the blue range, as the standard "cool white" model), but you get what you get. At any rate, this is not one of those "look at me, I have a cool blue light!" things. You will be able to SEE with this, as opposed to looking cool. :D As an aside, if you think that having those silly blue/purple (or other color besides white/yellow) aftermarket HID kits on your car is a good idea, do yourself and the rest of us a favor and do some research... please. There is a reason (other than the law) why automobile manufacturers do not use that crap. Moving on...Ceiling bounce is excellent. Fully charged, with an 8' white ceiling, cap-standing on a 3' table, high mode gave me illumination equivalent to a ~60-75W incandescent lamp and easily rivalled the permanent fixture in the room. Low mode looked to be about 15-20W worth of light. Again, these are naked-eye estimates; no measuring equipment was used.Standing on the table at an ambient temperature of ~70F degrees with no fan, high mode took ~15 minutes before the light's head was just at the point of "too hot to touch", though the body (handle) was still easily grasped. This means the heatsinking, while not awesome, is adequate to prevent contact burns during normal usage. I didn't wait for thermal shutdown, heh. Low mode just gets moderately warm no matter how long I've left the light on.Note: While the handle shouldn't burn you, DO NOT EVER look directly into this light while it's on. It -can- burn your eyes. I'm not trying to be "preachy", but for those who don't know much about high-output lights, this is not your average "supermart" Eveready or Maglite. :)Outdoor observations:The first thing I noticed outside at night was that the different colors of the beam sections are much less noticeable to the naked eye (on either mode); less defined, smoother transitions. More so between the two center "spot" areas, thankfully. So, you have a more uniform white/yellow area instead of the starkly separate white and yellow spot. The transition from the spot(s) to corona is still well defined, as the corona is not as bright as the spot, of course.While testing this light, there was a power outage... imagine that, haha. I had used the light on high mode for ~20 minutes total at this point, so the output was probably down by about 20% (estimate) on the 3100 mAH batteries. Since this light is regulated, that shouldn't have a huge impact. On the completely dark city street (residential, two-lane), and on high mode, it was pretty much daylight for a length of five lots (~300', or ~100 meters). The spot covered the entire width of the road starting at about 50' from my position onward and at ~20-30' the corona started lighting up at least the yards of the houses which were offset ~30' from the roadway. Further down, the spot was lighting part of the yards and the corona still lit the houses moderately well. Although I couldn't measure the end of the output area, I'd guess that the 300+ meter range (when fully charged) is accurate. Note that all my measurements are in feet ('), not meters.Final notes:While not as much of a flood as I had hoped, it definitely excels as a thrower. On high, the flood capabilities aren't horrible, though, so I'll keep the light as a "sort-of" compromise. With quality batteries, it does what it claims, giving you a little portable sunlight when you need it. :) At the moment, this is about the best value you can get (for the money, $/lumen) and if it had the OP reflector would have been even better, heh; -1 star for that reason only.

This is a very simple flashlight. The button on the bottom of it is very easy to work. It only has two modes ... ON/OFF ... That's it, nothing else .. Currently using the Tenergy 2600 Mh 18650 batteries and charger also sold here on Amazon. This flashlight is VERY bright .. I recommend this for anyone who needs a very bright light or is in search and rescue as this is actually a very LIGHT light. Only real weight is the batteries. Only Con is the Heat .. This flashlight gets very hot after 5 minutes of continuous use. Overall ... Very happy with this light. Bought it over 4 weeks ago and it's running very well.-----UPDATE----(May 09,2012)----- Flashlight is still working great .. No frills, no gimmicks, no faulty switches, no problems what-so-ever and takes over 10 minutes before it gets warm now (No Brightness Loss either). My husband is still greatly impressed. He just got the JetBeam BC25 as a back-up and is very satisfied with both. Still the best Bang for your Buck on the market. Glad I didn't buy him another Stinger .... To anyone looking for a great flashlight, look no further than this one ... and Get some good batteries while you're at it ..

This thing puts out light like no other flashlight I've had. It lights up my backyard! Nice combo between flood and spot. Bought it for our boat, so it'll be much easier finding the dock at night. Well made too. Disp batteries expensive (CR123 x 4) about >$40. Bought rechargable ones and will only need two of them for the light after the disp ones go. Good purchase. For the money, you can't go wrong!

After seeing a friend of mine who had one of these, I was so impressed I came home and ordered one for myself.This is a very bright light, the battery life is holding strong so far. I would prefer the power switch be located on the shaft itself vs on the base of the shaft, but that's really the only thing I don't like.It came in real handy during a power outage! Would recommend this highly.

This was great for my purpose. I bought it to spot wildlife at night in the Costa Rican jungle. My light outshone the guides lights. When I shined the light down the beach it seemed like we could see for miles. It doesn't zero in like a mag light, but that didn't matter since it was so bright. The batteries are rather expensive too.. but for me it was worth it. I saw everything I needed to see and didn't step on any poisonous spiders or snakes. =-)

I bought this for my son who is in law enforcement and he has had it for 6 months. He says it's the best light he's ever owned and he has had a lot of them. He says the light is bright enough to effectively disable someone when you shine it in their eyes. I have a good flashlight, but would like to get one for myself.

This torch throws some light. The light that it puts out is bright and is cool white. My only complaint with it so far is when I turn the head of the light to switch it to low output mode, the light will sometimes flicker while in use at that mode.

This flashlight is awesome!! It work's very good. 830lums is bright!! So for the price it is a awesome flashlight!!!!! A+A+. Thanks. Gio